A Theoretical Framework for Understanding the Role of Assessment in Curriculum Theory and Practice in Nigerian Higher Education

Assessment is both a curriculum design element and a powerful determinant of what curriculum is actually experienced by students, yet a coherent theoretical framework for understanding this relationship in Nigerian higher education, where examination culture dominates and shapes teaching practices in distinctive ways, remains undeveloped. This study developed an original theoretical framework for the role of assessment in curriculum theory and practice in Nigerian higher education, drawing on empirical research across six federal universities. A constructive theoretical methodology integrating systematic review, empirical research, and expert validation was employed. Systematic review of assessment-curriculum theory across 85 publications confirmed that the backwash effect of examinations on curriculum is theorised primarily in school-level contexts, with higher education examination culture and its curriculum shaping role under-theorised especially in African university contexts. Primary empirical research encompassing structured interviews with 60 academics, curriculum document analysis across 24 departments from six universities, and survey of 480 students generated data on how assessment practices shape curriculum design decisions, teaching approaches, and student learning strategies. The original Assessment-Curriculum Nexus Theory for Nigerian Higher Education proposes three theoretical constructs: examination-driven curriculum compression (the reduction of curriculum scope to assessable content), assessment-pedagogy feedback loops (reciprocal shaping between assessment design and teaching approach), and student assessment literacy as curriculum agency (how students' assessment knowledge determines their curriculum access). Expert review by 20 curriculum and assessment scholars confirmed the framework's theoretical originality.

Keywords: assessment, curriculum theory, Nigerian higher education, theoretical framework, backwash effect